Probable foot sprain (9yo hen) - how long would healing normally take? (Advice please)

[Wot The Flock]

I thought I would give an update.

More than a sprain (perhaps broken toe, or she had bruised the joint, whatever). I did take off the support bandage the other day, to see if she improved - she walked a little better for a while, over-used it, has made it worse.

Because she did insist on jumping up and down when in the coop, she became a "caged hen", firstly at night (to stop her from the jumping routine). Yesterday was a bit warm, so I brought her indoors, in the cage in the cool (being older bird, she does not handle the heat).

Even though caged (medium sized dog crate), I decided to re-bandage the foot and leg. This time I gave her soft conforming bandage, with the vet wrap over that to hold it in place. I have gone in between toes to hold her toes out in a standing position and prevent any further damage, as she was not always putting her toes out properly.

The (minor) swelling does seem to have come down at the joint where the toes join together. She is bright, eating and drinking, and thankfully resting a lot more now that she is confined to chicken jail. I will leave her inside for a few days at least (today and tomorrow going to be over 30°C), so in the cool, and in a quiet corner without much stimulation.

I am not too worried about flock integration at this point. Her two flock mates had been quite protective of her, not hassling her or aggressive in any way. A couple of cooler days coming up, so I may bring her out in the cage to be with the other two. The three young pullets, after a week of being fenced off in the pen, have had some mingling with the two older flock mates, which is going fairly well and without too much drama. Final pecking order will have to be sorted out when the 9yo alpha (Bessie) has done at least one to two weeks of caged confinement. It was the worst possible time to have injured herself!

 

[HollyWoozle]

Hope your girl heals up soon!

I just wanted to stop by and say that we have a hen who sustained some sort of sprain or damage to her leg. It took months for her to recover and she still walks with a slight limp more than 2 years on. She also sleeps in a nesting box as I think she finds it uncomfortable to roost, but otherwise she copes very well.

I don’t say this to dishearten you about the length of time recovery can take, rather the opposite… that it might take a fair while but she will likely get there in the end. In our case the hen, Gisela, is low-ranking and during the months of recovery she was kept separate from the rest of the flock but within their run so as to still be part of it to an extent.

 

[Wot The Flock]

Thanks Holly, for the input.

General update since my last. I decided that, at the point where she worsened, she probably broke her toe (middle of the toe), most likely because of that existing injury.

I made a splint for her toe (the toe joint bandage was still in place) and I just took the wrapping past the toe joint. Naughty girl managed to work it off during the day (she is a fairly clever chooky). She is taking a lot more care moving in her cage, but I will attempt to do a softer (not icypole stick) splint, which will give her support, and not throw off her balance as much. I let her be today, as she was being good and resting most of the day.

Weather was nice, and her cage was parked outside my door (a favourite sitting spot). Tonight I have again put her in the chicken shed next to her usual roosting mates (in the cage of course). Next four days will be quite warm, so she will be morning at the door, and the heat of the day indoors, and probably in the shed at roosting time. She is having exposure to her usual flockmates, and the newbie pullets who are more well-behaved now.